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Oklahoma State basketball misses own storybook ending in Bedlam overtime loss to Sooners
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- Oklahoma State basketball misses own storybook ending in Bedlam overtime loss to Sooners
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton watched the basketball soar through the air from OU's Javian McCollum and knew the shot would determine more than just the outcome.
He had earlier ripped off his orange blazer and waved it around near midcourt to pump up a nearly sold out Gallagher-Iba Arena.
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He had pleaded for his Cowboys to play better defensively. He had watched missed opportunities put them in a tight situation.
And yet, the final shot — a McCollum 3-pointer over OSU's Jamyron Keller on a broken play at the buzzer — decided the outcome in a stunning 84-82 OU overtime win Saturday to close out the Bedlam rivalry for the foreseeable future.
"When you talk about the life you choose," Boynton said, "and I love what I do, but as the ball's going in the air, a lot of times it determines whether you're a good coach or a bad coach. If the ball hits the back rim and doesn't go in, that's a totally different feeling. The other team feels bad, we feel better.
"But I wouldn't trade it. I love what I do. I'm a competitor at my core. It's who I am, it's who I've always been, it's why I've had whatever semblance of success I've had to this point and it's what I hope will continue to drive me to get better at everything I give to this program."
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Oklahoma forward Sam Godwin (10) jumps to block a shot by Oklahoma State forward Eric Dailey Jr. (2) in the first half during an NCAA basketball game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.
On a day the Cowboys fell one play short of avoiding a Bedlam sweep for the first time since 2019, the pain was all too real.
A crowd of 11,370 fans brought the noise. Players on both sides rode the emotions.
"We definitely wanted that win bad," OSU freshman Eric Dailey Jr. said. "We want every win bad, but this one was a big one. We've been talking about it all year.
"Sometimes the story is not written how you want it to be."
OSU (12-15, 4-10) had its chances for its own storybook ending.
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The Cowboys led by 11 in the first half and eight at the break. But the Sooners got a quick unconventional four-point swing on a McCollum basket and Keller foul after the basket to keep the basketball with the Sooners. Rivaldo Soares then made a layup.
Ten minutes later, OSU freshman Brandon Garrison fouled Soares on a 3-pointer. He made the shot and free throw for another four-point play.
With 3:21 left, OU's Jalon Moore made a layup as he was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Oweh got the putback for a one-point lead.
"Those plays matter, too," Boynton said. "Again, things that we can control. Those are the things I'll focus on with all of them, because those are the things that will ultimately make them really, really good players."
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More: How Jamyron Keller became Oklahoma State basketball's 'junkyard dog' thanks to his mother
OSU still responded each time.
It even had a chance to win in regulation with star point guard Javon Small on the foul line in a tie game with 4.3 seconds left. He missed the first shot of a one-and-one. The ball went out of bounds in the corner to the Cowboys with 0.4 seconds left.
Even then, the Pokes got a great look. The first option — a lob to Dailey — was covered too well. So, Keller inbounded to Jarius Hicklen for an open falling 3-pointer. Boynton said Hicklen rushed even too much with so little time that the basketball hit the side of the backboard.
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"Even though we were up, there were little mistakes that we had earlier," Dailey said. "And the margin of error in the Big 12 is small."
It gets even smaller in overtime.
OSU took an 82-81 lead with 1:28 left on a smooth corner 3 from super-senior John-Michael Wright . Then OU's Oweh Otega turned the ball over.
The Cowboys looked to be in great position.
Small drove toward the basket and attempted a runner, drawing some contact. No foul. Just a missed shot.
"I thought he got hit but it wasn't called," Boynton said. "That's the game. You live and die with the results when you put the guys in position to do things that you practice."
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Still, OSU had a chance for one last stop.
After an OU timeout with 12.5 seconds left, the Sooners looked to get McCollum to the basket. But Keller would not let him pass. Instead, McCollum stepped back just shy of the sideline and hit the deep 3 over Keller.
Gallagher-Iba Arena went silent as OU celebrated.
More: How Jamyron Keller became Oklahoma State basketball's 'junkyard dog' thanks to his mother
"Just a hell of a college basketball game," Boynton said to open his postgame comments. "I've been associated with the sport since 2000 when I first got to college and been a part of a few games that had all the elements of a classic, so to speak.
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"And that one certainly ranks up there."
That's why Boynton was so fired up in the second half when he spun his blazer around. That's why he wanted the win so much.
It was a missed opportunity to bring a huge positive to a downtrodden season.
"About as much as I've wanted any game that I've played in or coached in," Boynton said about how bad he wanted to win. "Again, because it could be (the last one) — I hope not. Maybe not. If it is, I certainly didn't want to lose it.
"I understand the gravity of the game, of the series, what it means to everybody in the state. I'm certainly disappointed for our fans. One more stop would have been the difference."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball misses opportunities in OT Bedlam loss to OU
